The New England Patriots seem to have satisfied their need for pass rushers this offseason, signing Harold Landry and K'Lavon Chaisson in free agency and selecting Bradyn Swinson in the NFL Draft.
But should the Patriots have any interest in three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, who was just released by the Carolina Panthers?
On the surface, you would think not. Clowney is 32 years old and is coming off of a decent — not great — season in which he registered 46 tackles and 5.5 sacks. New England is trying to get younger, and Clowney could block a more youthful player like Swinson from getting snaps.
However, there is another side to this: the Pats could sign Clowney to a one-year contract, allow him to mentor Swinson for a bit and then potentially move him at the trade deadline next fall.
Heck, if the Patriots end up contending for a playoff spot, Clowney could actually play a significant role, and in that case, they wouldn't even have to trade him. That being said, the most realistic avenue for New England to add the aging former No. 1 overall pick is to sign him with the intention of trading him for a draft pick mid-fall.
Clowney absolutely has value to contending teams. No, he is not the elite sack artist that many anticipated when he joined the NFL out of South Carolina, as he has never logged a double-digit sack campaign since entering the league in 2014.
Still, there is no question that a healthy Clowney can be a positive force in any good club's front seven, so there would almost certainly be teams interesting in making a move for him at the trade deadline if New England brings him in.
Of course, Clowney may not even express any interest in playing for the Pats. He may simply wait for the best opportunity to play for a squad already primed for a Super Bowl run, so this point could be entirely moot. But if the chance exists, the Patriots may want to strongly consider it.
